1788
The Philanthropic Society is formed.
Our history
Catch22’s history starts in 1788 with the formation of The Philanthropic Society, who aimed to ‘unite the spirit of charity with the principles of trade’ – our original definition of a ‘social business’.
The Royal Philanthropic Society formed when a group met in a coffee house to discuss the homeless children they saw begging and stealing on the streets. They answered this challenge by opening homes where children in need were trained by skilled tradesmen. We still see the impact of those ideas in our services today.
Timeline
1832
The Philanthropic Society opens a school in Redhill.
1876
Frederick Rainer funds the London Police Court Mission (LPCM).
1907
The Probation of Offenders Act becomes law.
1960
LPCM is renamed the Rainer Foundation.
1988
Crime Concern is set up by the Home Secretary.
1996
The Philanthropic Society and the Rainer Foundation merge.
2008
Rainer and Crime Concern merge into Catch22.
2013
Catch22 relaunches as a social business.
2014
Catch22 converts its first academy.
2015
Catch22 acquires Only Connect.
2016
Catch22 incubates Unlocked Graduates.
2016
The Public Services Lab is launched.
2017
Catch22 partners with Community Links.
2017
Catch22 incubates Lighthouse Pedagogy Trust.
2020
Jobs22 is created with Angus Knight Group.
2021
Ripplez merges into Catch22.
2021
Community Links fully merges into Catch22.
From the archive
We may be one of the first organisations to measure impact in this area. By 1848:
1,500
children had been helped by the Royal Philanthropic Society
95%
of those supported committed no further offences
Further information
Where can I read more about Catch22's history?
This timeline has been created using a range of sources. If you would like to learn more, you might find the below sources interesting:
- Biagini, E. F. (1996) Citizenship and Community: Liberals, Radicals and Collective Identities in the British Isles, 1865–1931. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- The Guardian (2007) ‘Timeline: A history of probation’, The Guardian Online, 2 May.
- Whitten, D. M. (2001) ‘Protection, Prevention, Reformation: a history of the Philanthropic Society, 1788-1848’. Ph.D. thesis. London: University of London.
- Whitten, D. M. (2011) Nipping Crime in the Bud: How the Philanthropic Quest was Put into Law. Hook: Waterside Press.
- Wienar, M. (1971) Between Two Worlds: the political thought of Graham Wallas. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Are there any archives available that I can visit that reflect this history?
Yes! The Rainer Foundation archives are held by Galleries of Justice, and further information about The Royal Philanthropic Society’s school in Redhill can be found at the Surrey History Centre.